The process of television news gathering can be as interesting as the news story itself. In fact, some stations take viewers along for the ride with the reporters via Facebook postings in the hopes it will heighten interest in their news coverage. Giving viewers back stage access into the newsroom humanizes the people who make […]
The process of television news gathering can be as interesting as the news story itself.
In fact, some stations take viewers along for the ride with the reporters via Facebook postings in the hopes it will heighten interest in their news coverage. Giving viewers back stage access into the newsroom humanizes the people who make the product.
They get to see the unpolished, unscripted, unrehearsed part of news gathering that results in the 40, 50 or more hours of local news many stations broadcast every week.
In May, Media General’s MNT affil KRON San Francisco aired six episodes of The Backstory, which chronicled the KRON news team — managers, reporters and anchors — as they cover and deliver the news on any given day.
This Sunday night at 9:30, The Backstory returns as a permanent fixture of KRON’s programming.
“We did a six-week run in May,” said Kevin Adler, KRON’s promotion manager, “and the show started with 0.1 rating in adults 25-54 and ended with a 0.5. In San Francisco, a 0.5 … is a big win on a Sunday night, which is a tough time period.”
In addition to the ratings success, said Ashley Gold Messina, KRON’s general manager, “The Backstory adds “fresh new programming and compelling content to our schedule.”
“It’s unscripted, unplanned and really unconventional for a local television station to pull back the curtain to show the inner workings of a news department,” said Jim Swanson, KRON’s programming director.
“It generated positive viewer feedback and created buzz in the local marketplace,” said Messina.
“The series is raw and at times unflattering as news crews face the challenges of putting together a daily newscast,” said Swanson.
“It’s really compelling stuff to see how certain stories affect them.”
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